In Monday night’s matchup against the Florida Panthers, the Toronto Maple Leafs will maintain their current lineup, opting to keep star defenseman Morgan Rielly and top-line forward Mitch Marner sidelined. Coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed this decision during the morning skate session. Ilya Samsonov will take to the crease once again after an impressive 34-save shutout against the Sabres over the weekend.
Rielly, recovering from an upper-body injury, participated in an extended skate session on Monday but will not see game action yet. Marner remains out for his 11th consecutive game, with hopes of returning for Wednesday’s clash against Tampa Bay after another practice session on Tuesday.
Defensemen Timothy Liljegren and Joel Edmundson continue their recovery from injuries, with both expected to return before the regular season wraps up on April 17. Meanwhile, forward Calle Järnkrok is anticipated to be back on the ice next week following a hand injury.
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Auston Matthews, currently leading the league in goals scored, aims to extend his impressive tally after netting his 60th goal on Saturday. With four more goals, he could tie Connor McDavid’s record from last season, falling just short of Alex Ovechkin’s remarkable 65-goal season in 2007-08.
The face-off against the Florida Panthers kicks off at 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT, airing on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+. The Panthers, trailing the Atlantic Division-leading Bruins by two points, meet the Leafs, who are six points behind Florida with 93 points and holding onto third place in the division.
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